I must admit that I'm a big fan of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim television line-up. They have created a unique niche of adult-oriented animation. I've long believed that cartoons aren't just for kids and watch several shows outside of this programming block. But despite the long-running success of The Simpsons and the popularity in some circles of anime, Japanese animation, animated programs in general have not garnered a wide following.

Adult Swim began airing other network's failed animated comedies such as Family Guy and Baby Blues along with a few new programs like Sealab 2021 and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and also included Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, an old favorite that never quite fit in with other cartoon shows. Adult Swim was only on a few nights a week. It found a small but loyal audience that grew bit by bit.

Just a few years later, Adult Swim is a growing phenomenon. Its programs air from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. six nights a week, although they do repeat several programs within that time frame. In the past few months, Adult Swim has separated from Cartoon Network for the sake of reporting ratings and it ranks especially high with the key young adult demographic, often winning its time slot. One interesting effect of Adult Swim's popularity can be seen with Family Guy. This show aired several years ago on Fox to lukewarm ratings and never quite found an audience. After appearing on Adult Swim and being released on DVD, there was so much interest in the series that Fox brought it back for a new season.

Much of Adult Swim's original programming appeals to a certain warped sense of humor. For instance, the joke of Sealab 2021 is that they've taken footage from a 1970s undersea action cartoon and made the characters talks about random unrelated topics like robots taking over the world. Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Robot Chicken are two more popular original shows that aren't for everyone and may be an acquired taste. In the first, a meatball, a take-out shake cup and a carton of fries live in the ghetto while dealing with alien invaders and their angry neighbor Carl. Robot Chicken was created by Seth Green and a friend, and they created short sketches with action figures that include adult humor, pop culture references and inspired weirdness. One interesting thing about these original shows is that they're fifteen minutes long. That way you can fit even more shows into a night of programming.

Cartoon Network has also been instrumental in bringing anime to television. They first started showing programs like Gundam Wing and Tenchi Muyo under the Toonami banner. DragonballZ remains on the network to this day. But many anime series are intended for a more adult audience. And this is where Adult Swim comes in with a venue for these shows like Cowboy Bebop and Paranoia Agent. Hardcore anime fans were the first to find these shows, but others who came for Family Guy and Futurama were soon drawn into the antics of Lupin III or Vash the Stampede from Trigun.